After The Storm
by TheEliteLabRatsLover
Summary: Thea is afraid of the storm raging outside. Oliver, luckily, has sleeping issues and he was there to help scare away her fears! Sibling Fluff! COLLAB WITH Night of the Cheshire!
1. Chapter 1

Hey, ya'll! This is another collab with the amazing Cheshire Assasin! She's awesome! Seriously. She's like totally awesome. And so are her stories, so why don't you just go check those out after this, all right? ;P I had so much fun writing this with you Ches, (can I call you that? Haha) and we totally have to do it again! ;D You rock! ;) I'll let you all know when my part begins and the amazing Cheshire Assasin's part ends. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own this awesome story!

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Thunder.

God, how much she hated the thunder.

Thea, merely a six-year-old, had every reason to fear the awful crashes that struck like knives. Quick and terrible. Those horrid nights when a storm would strike, Thea would cower in her covers, in her closet or under her bed, with a glow stick.

This night though, she wanted to face her fears. Thea, with a shaking hand, carefully pushed her covers down. Wrapping one stray blanket around herself, she stood. Thea carefully eased one foot onto the ground and followed with the other. She almost jumped a mile high when another crash sounded out through the night.

But, she continued. She reached one hand out from her blanket, ever so slowly, and turned her doorknob. Oliver had heard her from his room. But played it off to his sister going to get a glass of water, as she often did late at night.

She tip-toed to the long stair case. With each step, downwards, her fear grew worse. She reached the kitchen door. Pushing it open she found her way onto the picnic patio in front of their massive yard. She stepped onto the rain-covered tile and gently placed one foot after another until she was standing next to the umbrella in the middle of the glass table.

Another crash.

Thea squeaked and grabbed onto the pole of the umbrella. One more was enough to send her running to her room, through the kitchen, the dining room, the living room. She reached the staircase, with tears in her eyes and streaming down her face, she climbed them.

It wasn't until the last two stairs, when she tripped in her haste, and fell down over them. She landed on the top of the flight and hit her chin only hard enough to gain a scrape. She picked herself up, still teary-eyed, and bolted to her room, slamming the door accidentally on her way.

Oliver had, in fact, heard the commotion. He heard the thunder, the door open, the small feet pattering like the rain, down the stairs. He heard the patio door open and close. Now he was worried. One minute passed, two crashes of thunder, and the door once again opened and shut. He heard the frantic running of his little sister.

He heard her rushing up the stairs again, and her crying. As she neared the top, closer to his bedroom door, there was a crash, not of thunder, but of a small weight falling to the ground.

More pattering of feet and the slam of a door sent Oliver out of his room almost faster than Barry Allen would be after an accident that could have happened to Thea today.

 _Thea_. How could I let her do that? I should have gone after her no later than I heard the patio door open!

Oliver opened Thea's door carefully and slipped inside. He heard a quiet sound under the covers of Thea's bed. It was unmistakably the sound of his baby sister crying.

"Thea?" He whispered. The blankets moved slightly and from somewhere in the fabric, a small head popped out. Thea's hair was messy and her red, button-up pajamas rested on her small form awkwardly. The tears on her cheeks where quickly wiped away by the little girl.

"O-Ollie?" Thea said quietly, trying not to hiccup.

"What happened Speedy?" Oliver quickly and quietly approached her and sat next to her, she moved from her burrow in the bed to her brother's arms.

"I'm scared!" She whined. Oliver stroked her hair calmingly. Oliver felt awful now.

"Shh, Shh. It's okay, I'm here now. Tell me what scared you?" He said, pulling back a bit so he could see his sister's face.

"The storm. It's loud Ollie, it's really scary!" Thea cried, throwing herself back into Oliver's chest. Oliver was only about nine or ten years older than her and the storms still startled him, occasionally. He liked them only for the calming pitter-patter of the rain on his window and the gushes of wind swaying the trees.

But all of this would scare a six-year-old such as his sister. The rain would sound like hundreds of footsteps climbing over the house, the wind would howl in the dark and push the trees to be monsters trying desperately to grab you. The Thunder would shake the house and echo like a gnarly roar.

Thea shook in his grasp as another flash of lighting was followed up with a very loud clap of Thunder.

After reassuring her it was fine, Oliver tried to work his way to the hard part. Helping her to not fear the storm.

 **Now comes my part! Farewell dear friend; until we meet and collab again in this fantasy world! ;D**

"Hey, now, Speedy," He said quietly, gently pulling away so he could see her face. He put his knuckle underneath her chin and gently tilted it so she would look at him. He ignored the pang in his heart at the tears streaming down her face, and smiled nonetheless. "How about we play a game?" He asked and she sniffed.

"What kind of g-game?" She hiccupped, and he let go of her chin to twirl one of her curls.

"An adventure game. Want me to explain the rules?" He questioned and she nodded, when suddenly another bolt of lightning struck nearby, resulting in a loud crash of thunder and Thea to jump back into his arms; shaking.

"P-please tell me," She murmured against his chest, and he gently stroked her back.

"Okay, so here's how we play; we're both in Alaska, searching for gold. And the lightning, you see, is the aurora borealis." He pulled back and she looked up at him. "Do you know what the aurora borealis is?" He asked and she nodded, wiping away a few tears.

"It's the N-Northern lights. They're all sorts of different pretty colors. Like a rainbow," She said, face lighting up slightly, and he smiled. He couldn't help but be a little shocked that his little sister, who was only six, knew about the aurora borealis.

"Exactly. And the rain is just the rush of water in a nearby waterfall. The thunder is just, um..." He frowned, trying to think of what to do with the thunder. Suddenly, an idea formed in his head; and even if it wasn't his best one, he still used it.

"You see, the thunder is just some tree cutters down the forest a ways. Each time it thunders, it's just them cutting down a tree. Okay?" He questioned, and she nodded; liking the fact of playing a game with her big brother.

"Okay." She said and he smiled, looking around the room.

"Here," He said, taking her hand and standing up. He walked over to her dresser, along with her quietly walking beside him; gripping his hand tightly. He grabbed the flashlight on top of her wooden dresser, and then grabbed a large blanket off of her bed.

He knelt down onto the floor. "Hey, Thea, do you think that you let go of my hand just for a moment?" He asked and she reluctantly released his hand, instead wrapping her arms around her tiny frame. The thunder rumbled and she jumped from fear.

"Hey now, remember; it's just those log cutters and the aurora borealis." He reassured her, and she nodded; trying to convince herself. It was times like this that he was grateful for both of their extremely large imaginations. He set the flashlight down and moved a chair over near her bed.

He then laid the blanket on top of the bed and over the chair. He motioned for Thea to come next to him. "Welcome to our tent," He said and she smiled at the sight of his poorly done fort. "After you," He said and she walked in, a smile on her face the whole time.

"This is so cool, Ollie!" She exclaimed and he felt a large smile form on his face at her words. He closed off the blanket behind them; fully aware of how he had to bend down even when sitting on the floor due to the height of the 'tent'. She sat down, her legs crossed, and he was glad that he had grabbed her little star projector on the way.

"Okay, now close your eyes," He said and she gave him a curious look, before obeying and closing her eyes patiently. He quickly set the star projector onto the floor in between them, and turned it on, looking at the stars for a moment to make sure that they look all right, before turning his attention towards his sister.

"Okay, Speedy, you can open them now." He said, and she slowly opened her eyes. A big smile grew on her lips as her eyes widened and her face lit up.

"Whoa!" She exclaimed in awe and he smiled. "This is so cool!" She said, and another rumble of thunder was heard overhead, but she was too in awe of the 'stars' that she didn't pay it any mind.

Oliver smiled; his guess had been correct. She'd used her star projector many of times, but with the 'ceiling' made of blankets being closer than the actual ceiling, she could see it a lot better and things were more clear.

"Glad you like it, Speedy. Now, how about we start looking for gold?" He asked, and that was how he found himself at two o'clock in the early morning, looking for 'gold', which was actually bits of lint on her carpet, with his little sister and doing his best 'mountain man' impression; fully aware of how ridiculous he looked.

But the giggle that erupted from Thea's small lips at his antics, made up for any of his embarrassment.

Neither of them had even noticed that the storm had stopped after a while. The only reason they had stopped, was because they had both become too tired to continue playing. So, they had both decided on just sleeping in their 'tent' for the night.

Well, what was left of the night.

Thea had decided to use Oliver's chest as her pillow, and he had decided to just sleep on the, slightly uncomfortable, floor. But he didn't mind one bit. Because even though all that he had just done that night, was to help her stop fearing storms, he still enjoyed himself.

She was his little sister and he loved her.

Having her as his sister made up for any sleepless night or uncomfortable floor used as a bed. The next day would bring a sunny day for the two, prompting Oliver to take her to the park and show her that; even when stormy nights come, there will always be a bright and shiny day right around the corner.

Thea took those words and memorized them, for she knew that his quote would be the only thing to keep her sane one day in her future.

But for now, she holds onto his hand as they both laugh and smell some wildflowers. The past night would forever be one of her favorite memories. Because now, with the help of her brother, she had made it through the night.

And after all, as long as she has her big brother, she has no reason to fear the storm.

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 **Ta-da! What'cha think? I seriously can't explain how much fun I had writing this with you Cheshire, and how awesome you are, plus what your friendship means to me! ;D By the way, the whole 'game' part was inspired by Girl Meets World's episode: Girl Meets Mr. Clutterbucket! Random fact. ;P I hope you have a good night (or day) and until next time! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**It's been a long time since we wrote this, so I honestly don't remember where we switched off. XD I do know that you wrote the top part of it, and that I had a ton of fun collabing with you, Night of the Cheshire. As usual. ;P So here's the second part! I hope y'all like it as much as I did writing it with Night of the Cheshire! Review replies are below. :)**

 **fangurl: I did, actually, as I wrote in the AN. ;) But yeah, it does make him seem that way, which I believe he was. And still is, lol. ;)**

 **KDesai: I'm so glad you liked it! TYSM!**

 **Night of the Cheshire: Anytime. ;)**

 **riversunshine: Thank you! I think that we might be planning that...not sure, lol. ;) And don't worry; your English seemed perfectly fine to me! :D Thanks again!**

 **Disclaimer: I actually don't own this. Surprise.**

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Thea sat alone in her room.

She was only twelve and yet, so much tragedy had already struck. Her father was dead. Her brother was dead. Her best friend was dead. She could only imagine the Lance's it felt to. She would cry all day in her room. Thea skipped school for at least a month.

How she missed her brother and her dad.

She ate once a day, at most, and stayed out of sight. She cried as she thought back on her childhood with them.

When her father came back after she broke her arm while horseback riding. The night Oliver helped her through the storm. She played the game in her head over and over on those weeks. She smiled as the tears spilled, the happy moments inflicting her current pain.

"No." She sobbed.

"NO!" She screamed, throwing the closest object to her at the wall, in this case it was a school book. A resounding thud echoed throughout the room as it collided with the wall. Her hands came up to mouth as she sobbed, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

 _How could this be happening?_ She wondered.

Her mind strayed away to one of the few things she had thought about the past couple of months; what were their final moments like?

She couldn't help the twisted thoughts. This was her brother and her father, she _needed_ to know what happened, even though she didn't dare find out. Even if there was no way to ever know.

Quiet sobs wracked her body as she pulled her knees up to her chin, burying her face in them.

She tried to imagine her dad's strong embrace as he held her and comforted her, while also imagining her brother's soothing voice as he comforted her, and told her a joke that would make her smile and momentarily forget about all of her pain.

A sob shook her whole, frail body as she realized with a sickening feeling that never again would she experience either of those things.

Some of the best things in the world to her.

Now, she never experiences any things like that.

Her friends aren't like that. They're not caring, not the way Oliver was. And she likes Raiza, but what could she do about Thea's pain when she, herself, was suffering? And Thea hadn't wanted to bother her, knowing that everyone else was miserable.

She was old enough now to understand what this all meant. She didn't have somebody there to protect her from all the anguish in the world. She sees the looks her mother gives her when he thinks she isn't looking.

 _It should've been you_ , the looks say.

So she's a disappointment to everybody around her, and the only people who actually cared about her are dead.

Tears stream silently down her cheeks as thunder claps overhead for the first time; starling her as her body jerks from the noise.

It crackles all around the house as the rain falls onto the roof in a coarse manner. She brings her head up, tucking her chin on top of her knees and glances outside of the window. Lightning dances across the sky, and she can't help but think of the night Oliver helped her to stop fearing storms.

But now...

Now she had every reason to fear them again.

Her body is moving before she can even process what exactly she is doing. She's on her feet, and quietly moving to the door to her room. It's midnight, so she quietly walks down the steps, her movements slow and skilled. She's only twelve, but she's had enough tragedy strike her to teach her a few lessons.

She doesn't have the same bounce in her step as she used to when her entire family was _alive_.

She moves now with the calm steps of an adult. She reaches the door, pausing as she straightens her T-shirt and shorts, the ones that Oliver had gotten for her, custom made for Christmas that read "Hi, I'm Speedy" on them.

She dreads the day that she outgrows them.

She slowly opens the door, careful not to let it creak, and steps out onto the patio, remembering an all-too-familiar night as she does, and immediately feels cold drops of water start trailing down her face as she closes the door behind her.

The raindrops mixing with the tears on her face as she looks towards the sky, barely even jerking when lightning slides across the clouds above her and thunder crashes down. She knows where she's heading. It won't take her long to reach there.

She walks slowly, calmly, even though she knows the risks of being out here _right now_ , but it doesn't bother her. She's never been one to dislike risks.

She doesn't even care anymore.

She feels the cool, wet grass on the bottom of her bare feet, and she has to be careful not to fall on such slick terrain. She finally reaches her destination and suddenly feels all of her strength fade away as she sink to her bare knees in front of the two gravestones.

"Hey, guys..." She says with a forced, watery smile. The tears already coming back. "You're missing out on one heck of a storm, tonight." She says, voice barely above a whisper, and nearly inaudible due to the thunder constantly rumbling overhead, almost as if it's in turmoil with the lightning.

Each time one would strike, the other would roar.

She finds almost a sick and twisted irony in her words, knowing that it was a storm that had taken her father and brother's lives. "I miss you guys," She says, simply, voice raw. "Nothing is the same without you two." She hesitates, even though she knows that nobody will ever reply.

"I stopped a fight today in school. A couple of older kids were picking on James. Do you remember James, Ollie? They started shoving him, but I called the principal and he broke it up. Even suspended the other two kids for a week!"

"I did just what you said, Ollie. I didn't get involved, I just called the principal. Aren't you proud of me?" She asks, voice trembling, knowing that she'll never know the answer. Never get to know if she had ever made them proud.

"But then the kids turned on me and are now calling me a tattletale and making fun of me." She frowns and shakes her head. "I had only done what was right. So why did they do that?" She pauses and sighs.

"They started making fun of you guys the other day in class. I won't go into detail, but you wouldn't like it. And oh, it made me so mad. I guess that I really should have kept my mouth shut, though, because I got sent home for what I said in reply...it wasn't anything too bad. But I guess that it was kind of mean."

"Mom wasn't happy that I was sent home. She ended up sending me to my room before I could even explain. I know that she's just taking her anger out on me because of what had happened, but can't she see that I'm human, too? That I'm her daughter?" Thunder erupts overhead as she sighs, barely noticing it.

"I just miss you guys, and really want you to come home. Maybe then things could be better and go back to normal. Because life sucks, here. Everybody at school hates me, all of my friends are not really friends at all, as they're trying me to do things I know that you guys wouldn't like, and even at home everybody seems to hate me."

"Tommy and Laurel visit me every once in a while, but it's not the same. I know that they're trying, and that they're both suffering, too, but I can't help it. I just want you guys to come home,"

Her voice breaks off into a sob, and that's how she spends the next twenty minutes; curled up beside their tombstones, crying as the rain gently falls onto her and the ground around her, as if it's crying with her.

Eventually the rain stops, and leaves her on the ground, silently shivering as she talks to empty graves.

When she heads back into the house to change and shower before anybody is up, she realizes that Oliver had helped her yet again. Without even knowing, he had helped her to not fear the storm. She had forgotten all about the storm because she had simply been talking to her deceased brother.

And as odd as that sounded, it worked. She could feel his presence out there, and every once in a while she allowed herself to dream that her brother was still out there, just waiting for help. It was hard to not let herself believe the lie. Even when he was gone, he was still helping her.

And she knew that he would forever be in her heart, silently watching her like a guardian angel. Because of him, his presence in her life, whether he was alive or not, she could get through any storm.

Because of Oliver...Thea didn't fear any storm anymore.

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 **Yep, there ya' have it! ;) TTFN! (Ta ta for now!)**


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